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"Babies suck all they do is cry and whine and make a mess." -Me
"So do you!" -Kat

Tuesday, 6-29-21: Epic summer heat.
This will be the third consecutive night where the temperature does not drop below 70 degrees. What a bunch of crap! Monday was rough, 95 degrees in the afternoon with a "feels like" of close to 100. Heat advisories posted, etc. Today was "only" 92, but it still sucked. A lot. Going for a jog? NOPE. Playing rball? NOPE. I did lift weights in my bootleg gym yesterday during the hottest part of the day, but the gym is a relatively comfy 70 with low humidity thanks to my badass dehumidifier that runs in the summer over there and that costs extra precious... precious money on the electric bill. Is the extra cost worth it? FUCK YEAH.

^THIS IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP ALL ROLLED UP INTO ONE.

Even thought it was stupid-hot in the bedroom the past couple nights I slept okay thanks to a new solution that I wish I had 20 years ago. POT COOKIE. Eating an edible a couple hours before bed helped. A lot. I won't do it every night, and I won't do it tonight because my ass is already drunk and will just pass out. I would not have done it, but I know it is game over trying to sleep in a hot bedroom with no air conditioning. Fans help, but only so much.

I was down at the bar hanging out for a while, but it is too hot there. What a bunch of crap! One of our two heat pump A/C units stopped working, and it failed within a month of install. Gods damn it! It is under warranty and will get fixed, but the timing is all-bad. It really wasn't horribly hot there, but I wanted to leave anyway. It was a good crowd for a Tuesday night. That bar is a fun place to hang out. Thankfully I am not a town drunk or else game over for me having such a cool bar so close to home.

I was wanting to walk down to the bar, normally a 6-minute walk, but it was still too hot so I just drove there and back. What a bunch of crap! A walk would have been nice, but not if I bust out a serious sweat just trying to get there and back. F that.

I did work in the event room for most of today despite the fact it was really hot. I got a lot of white trim paint done, and the room will be ready for event soon. Maybe? Hopefully! I need it done ASAP because I have other things that need to be done. How busy will my July be? Too soon to tell, and it will be July in 2 days. OMG I SUCK. I think I will be busy because I am always busy. Once the event room is done I have lots of other things to do. I gotta move the tax office to... somewhere. Maybe here?

^The old Jester's bar and space from just under one year ago. Is my bootleg tax office really moving to there? Possibly. Still working out the details with the landlord about it all. We took down that wall in the background, but a new wall can go back up easily enough...

If we had air conditioning in the house my night would be different. Same for the past 3 nights. Sadly it gets so hot I just get drunk or baked and pass out. Is that a viable long-term solution/ NOPE. I don't really get baked, though. One pot-cookies does not make me a burnout. I can still function well enough to not be a total dub every day.

I have one month to get into raking-shape, and I have serious doubts about it all. I've prided myself in my conditioning over the past 20 or 25 years, but this year I am down. A lot. That fuckin' restaurant along with Covid-19 put everything out of whack. I actually got Covid and that essentially ruined my May. Seriously. Having the 'rona = what a bunch of crap! The vaccine is probably a bad idea, but the alternative of getting really sick from the 'rona is worse so get the damn vaccine. I had the virus for several days at the very end of April and into early May, and the effects stuck with me for most of May. I was a weak pussy for several weeks, and I am finally just now feeling better. I still can't jog worth a shit so maybe I am not really better yet? Hard to say can't fucking jog when it is 95 degrees. What a bunch of crap!

I did get a good workout in my bootleg gym yesterday, the best workout I've had lifting weights in months. I didn't lift heavy weights, F that, I just survived. Just making it to the end of a workout lately = win. A lot of times I get tired and just quit before it is over. What a bunch of crap!

The bar will be closed Sunday July 4th so we can *hopefully*have a really fun party here and the house that day. Will Doug be back by then? Guy hopes so but guy doesn't really know. Doug is moving back, and he is already over 1/3 of the way to home from Tucson, AZ. He plans to stop in Cleveland to go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame visit a friend so I don't know when he will land in Brewer. I'd love to have him back by out July 4th party, but we'll see...

Doug and I were best friends for a long time before life happened and we drifted apart. For a while we didn't even talk because of reasons, but I am hoping we can reconnect and get back some of what we had in the past. I don't want to party hard all night long with my youngest brother, F that, but I hope we can have some fun. Hard to believe that 23 years ago I was still in the Navy, active duty, about 1.5 months away from leaving the USS Carl Vinson and heading back to "home." In September 1998 I got a 3BR apartment with Doug and with one of his friends, and I still manage the building where we used to live. Loads of history in this area for us all, and I don't know how much of that will be good and how much of it will be bad. Doing the restaurant and bar is next-level WTF, but who knows it might just pay off in the end. Maybe? Hopefully!

I dunno how I just wrote most of an update when I am so drunk? I guess I got more drunk along the way thank you Dr. Migillicutty. I can't even spell that right, and I don't drink it too much because it is too sweet. Not as sweet as my awesome wife, but still too much sugar to make it my drink for an entire night...

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Monday, 6-28-21: SOLD?!
We have our North Main office building under contract. Oh Jesus, hell ya! The place sat on the market for about a week before we got a good offer, and it showed maybe a half-dozen times overall. Our asking price was $185k, and the offer we have on the table now is for exactly that. AWESOME! However, there are drawbacks to it all.

The first drawback is the fact that we need the place totally vacated before we close. The rough draft of their offer set a closing date of July 14th. OMG IMPOSSIBLE! Not only do I have Daniel and Emily in the upstairs apt there but we also have a bunch of office things that will need to be moved and stored elsewhere from the downstairs. I didn't want to move Daniel and Emily at all because they like being there. I gave them a 2-year lease, but that lease ended up deterring most buyers so now we will have to move them. No potential buyer wanted the place with existing tenants there. What a bunch of crap! We could have kept it on the market longer and waited to see what would happen, but this offer makes sense for us now as opposed to the unknowns of waiting.

Kat and I decided a closing by July 14th, less than three weeks away, was totlly ridiculous. We asked for August, they seemed to not like that idea, but then they agreed so our official closing date will now be mid-August. The contract says Aug 15th, but that is a Sunday so maybe it will happen on the 16th? I'd love to say it would happen sooner, but if anything my guess it would happen later. I have a lot to do between now and then. A LOT.

A second drawback to the full-price "cash" no-inspections needed offer is the fact that I have to get a tree cut back, I need the old garage lift cut off, and I have some oil drums in the basement that need to disappear. I'm guessing all that won't cost over $2000 or else I'll be saying "What a bunch of crap!" It is a big tree, but they just want the part near the electrical wires trimmed. Who knows, maybe it will end up being more expensive, but our next best offer for the place was $175k so I'm willing to put some money into the place to appease a cash buyer. Plus the people offering $175k would have had inspections done and I would have failed on stuff anyway.

The buyers are looking to put a hair and/or nail salon in the downstairs and live in the upstairs. A cash offer with no inspections needed is a great offer. Unfortunately, needing to move Daniel and Emily really is a setback. I actually need to get off this bootleg site that almost no one ever reads soon to draft a letter to my Allen Rd tenant who plans to move. She was going to be out May 1, but that was pushed back and I didn't care. Now she plans to be there through July, and that apartment needs new flooring and fresh paint (at minimum) before I can have it ready for Daniel and Emily. I did show it do them Thursday so at least that part is done. I'll give them some free rent for the burden of having to move.

As far as where the tax office will end up or whether I will even do taxes anymore, that is still undecided. I do want to put the office over next to the retaurant sort-of where Jester's used to be. I asked the landlord about it the Friday before last, and I also included a letter detailing my plan. He called me this morning and tried the classic sales tactic that doesn't work on me. He said he talked to his accountant, and he could do only $300 a month for the use of that area plus I'd have to look after his soon-to-be gas station that will also be in our plaza. The gas station supervision is valued (by him) at about $700 a month since the station is mostly automated and doesn't even have a pump person or attendant. However, it would need maintenance, price changes, spill cleanup, snow shovelling in winter, etc.

So basically his offer to me this morning was this:

^A GIANT TURD IN THE PUNCH-BOWL OF LIFE = WHAT A BUNCH OF CRAP! My ass is NOT paying what would be equal to $1000 a month to use a small little ~400 square foot corner of the restaurant/bar as my tax office. I might just close the tax office and only do the restaurant and take care of Allen Rd, I dunno yet. I'm hoping I can keep negotiating with the landlord, but we seem pretty far apart on it as of right now.

I guess I should get off this bootleg thing and draft that letter to my Allen Rd tenant. She was supposed to be out by May 1, but I let her stay longer because she wasn't ready to move due to... reasons. She actually did me a favor by staying there longer, but now I'll need her gone soon so I can get that apt ready for Daniel and Emily. Maybe I can bribe her to move by mid-July if I give her free July rent or some other concession. It can't hurt to ask. If I can have her out in a couple weeks that gives me precious... precious time to work on it before Gavin and I take 1.5 weeks to blueberry rake at the very end of July and into August.

If I knew now what I knew a month ago I would have NOT committed to blueberry raking this season. At the time I committed to the season I was looking at our finances and I was not at all impressed with what I saw. I think it will be a good raking season and we can make good money, but I'll really be hurting for time if I have to wait until Aug 8th to even start that 3BR apt. That would only give me one week to get it done before that Aug 15th deadline. Impossible? I dunno, but it would be all-bad and what a bunch of crap all rolled up into one!

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Thursday 6-24-21: Feels like the start of a pre-pandemic day.
Kat and I bivouaced early last night, and my ass was up early this morning. Revielle was 0515, I feel like I slept well, and I've already watched some news, shovelled in food, did yoga, shovelled dog shit (what a bunch of crap!), and washed dishes. It was a really good night for sleeping, low humidity, and an even better morning to do my yoga. Perfect weather day expected so I should be working outside. I will go for a jog later, but most of my day will be spent indoors working on the event room at the restaurant.

It feels like a morning I had many mornings before we started this restaurant and bar and even before the covid pandemic. Last year we used to bivouac earlier and get up earlier, but now it is all different. Many days we are up late when the bar closes late, especially on the weekends, so there is no real schedule. Thankfully Katherine and Heather are growing into their MOD (manager on duty) roles so that does help my awesome wife and I get a little more precious... precious free time.

The event room at the bar is probably 80% done, and it is starting to look good. I framed in what will be the bar Monday night while we had the kitchen hoods cleaned:

The ceiling is almost done:

Bathrooms still need a lot of work:

^Women's bathroom still needs partitions, etc. I could leave it like that hehehe. Want privacy when you are dropping a deuce? Use the other bathroom! Just kidding we plan to actually do it right.

We are low on money so getting everything done takes longer. Plus time is a premium lately. What a bunch of crap! Thankfully today I think we are finally closing on this piece of land so that will help with the cash flow:

We were supposed to have it sold last week, but the chick who is buying it had to cancel because her kid broke his leg. What a bunch of crap! Not closing as planned did hurt us financially, but not to the point of total destitution. Business at the bar has been steadily increasing so that also helps the cash flow. We got behind on several bills, and we are still behind on a few bills, but we are whittling them all down faster now.

It is a miracle our bar is still open when I step back and look at the big picture. We opened in a covid pandemic, we had a massive falling out with our business partners, we had to shut down because 1/3 of us all got the 'rona, we had a bunch of experienced staff quit on us (after the falling out with Neil and Ang), our walk-in freezer died, our walk-in fridge is currently dead, we had an old lady fall on out concrete floor and almost die, and we've had several other setbacks. What a bunch of crap!

People come into the place on Mondays and Wednesdays to play bridge and cribbage. Two separate groups of people, and their average age is 75-80. Seriosuly. It is like an old folks' home in there twice a week! Most of them are nice enough, but some of them are cheap assholes who drink water and who only order off the kids menu. I shut that bullshit down yesterday when I had a meeting with the coordinator of one of the groups. NO MORE KIDS MEALS PAY FOR A LUNCH OR GTFO. Adults spending $5 for a hotdog and fries = does not pay the bills.

So on Monday before the bridge and cribbage games began this lady strolls in, and another old guy was at the bar with his cane. I didn't see exactly what happened, but the old guy accidentally tripped the old lady, or she was not paying attention and tripped on his cane, and down she went. She was collapsed on the floor, blood was flowing, my ass was on the phone with 911, it was a total shit-show. I thought she was going to check out since she's 88 years old, another ghost to haunt us, but she lived and needed 8 stitches. A bunch of the old geezers kept coming up to look so I had to tell them all to spread out or get out. Damn old people!

My life is definitely NOT boring. It is crazy lately, and I don't even have time to write but a fraction of the things I see and do. The tax office building is still for sale, and after 5 showings we have not had a good offer. One guy offered $175k, but he wanted the upstairs apartment vacant by early August and that cannot happen. I gave Daniel and his roommate a 2-year lease, but they might want to move over to Allen Rd this summer anyway. However, the 3BR apt I will have available at Allen Rd is not available yet and won't be ready until probably late August. We still have the building listed for $185k, but I think after one more showing today we'll drop it down to $179 or $175k. I do want to sell the place, but we are not desperate and it can stay on the market for a while more. If we can find a buyer and close in September that would be ideal. Who knows, too many unknowns at this point still.

Alright turds, all two of you who read this bootleg blog of mine, I gotta get going now. Time to go do other things. Goonies never say die!

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Tuesday 6-22-21: I am so frigging tired..
My ass is running on fumes right now, and it is only 2030. Normally that is not late at all, but Kat and I pulled an all-nighter last night and got very little sleep this morning so we are both exhausted. What a bunch of crap! We had the kitchen hood cleaning scheduled for last night, and they didn't even roll in to start until midnight. My awesome wife cleaned the hell out of the bar itself while I fixed some tables and worked on the event room out back. We also had a dishwasher quit a few days ago so we were short a man and I did a couple hours worth of dishes. I don't mind doing the dishes, we have a machine to wash them, but they still need a pre-rinse, some scrubbing, etc.

Since it is literally (overused word what a bunch of crap!) the longest day of the year we left the restaurant at 0430 to daylight, and we bivouaced just after 0500. We both woke up around 0900, maybe earlier, and we had our brand new walk-in fridge at 53 degrees so that was all-bad. We've had the worst luck you could possibly imagine so far with that gods damned restaurant. The only reason we are still in business is because Kat carries the place. How long can she work 80 hours a week for no pay because we don't actually make money? Not long I fear.

I think about all the things that have gone wrong at our new restaurant/bar, and I am amazed are are still there. First we had a covid shutdown on what was going to be a busy Sat night. Then we had a fallout with our business partners, and that ended VERY badly. We had another covid shutdown shortly after that, several people quit, and we had a negative 200 dollar account balance on May 8th. What a bunch of crap! We had a freezer die, today we had our new fridge die, and I don't even know how we are doing it.

Solution to the temporary woes of the business is this:

FOR SALE listed last Thurs. There have been five showings, and so far no good offers so obviously the place is overpriced. What a bunch of crap! I dunno, maybe someone will pay that much, but I think we will lower the price tomorrow to $175k. I was going to move the tax business over by the restaurant, but I'm not sure what's going to happen I need the landlord to okay it still.

My ass is too tired to keep writing. I am done. Fin. Spent. Wasted like Doc-J and 8-Ball from Full Metal Jacket. Maybe I will be more aware next time and more able to write? I dunno I just have too much else to do. What a bunch of crap!

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Tuesday 6-15-21: Solution to financial limbo.
Kat and I are going to sell the this building:

^Photo from 2019 just after we had the front paved. I need to take updated pictures tomorrow so we can move forward and get it listed. It is the tax office building, and in this market Jody thinks we can get a good sale price for the place. Maybe? Hopefully!

We own the building outright, and we put a lot of precious... precious money into the renovations in the last half of 2018 and into the beginning of 2019. I'm sick of being in debt so this is a great way to take care of that. The market is crazy right now with just about everything selling for a premium so if things fall into place for us we will end up with plenty of money to pay down debts and to get the bar/restaurant finished just the way we want.

My tax business and Kat's DJ office are in that North Main building in the downstairs, and Daniel (Kat's oldest son, my step-son) lives in the upstairs apartment there. Since we opened Mad Kat Bar & Grill Kat doesn't need the DJ office anymore, and I can *hopefully* move the tax business over to where Jester's once was located - between our bar and Paradis. I need to work with the landlord on that aspect of things.

Before we list the place for sale officially I need to do a lease for Daniel and his roomate so some new landlord doesn't swoop in and jack up their rent. I do NOT want to sell that building only to screw over my own family who lives there. Rents are crazy right now so I'm sure any new owner would want to jack up the rent. Daniel is a great tenant who pays on time and who doesn't cause problems so we think any new owner would be happy to have a good tenant. Hard to say what the market will do, but we will find out soon!

Money is the main reason why we decided to sell that building. When we first started the restaurant/bar I was excited to do it. However, as last fall progressed I got less and less excited for it and by the time my tax season began early this year I viewed the bar as an albatross. I thought it sucked, I hated it, and I said it was the worst decision of my life. Kat and I almost got divorced because of that place! Thankfully now her and I are doing much better even though we do work too much. I've actually been enjoying doing the restaurant and bar so far this month so that is a huge turnaround from how I felt just three months ago.

We are NOT profitable yet at the bar, but we are getting closer to finding success and new people are coming often and mostly having a good experience. We have a great team of workers overall, and we are lucky because most other places can't find any help. I believe we will be successful, and I believe we have the location, the amenities, the attitude, and the staff to last a very long time. The event room should be the final piece that puts us over the top if I can ever finish it.

I try to work on the event room, but I get pulled in a lot of directions so it is hard to focus on just that. What a bunch of crap! Today I only worked on it for a couple hours because I had other things to do. Company staff meeting, commercial to film, the usual. I did make time to use my bootleg gym, though. Only the second time I've used it all month what a bunch of crap! I lift very light weights, but at least I am doing it. I finally feel like I recovered from Covid, but man that took about a month (or more) to get to where I am now.

I'm taking Sunday off. Oh Jesus, hell ya! However, it is a trip to the midcoast so I'll be busy and I won't be able to hang out with my awesome wife. Kat called me a while ago to say she booked a 30-kid birthday party for kids' karaoke Sunday afternoon. OMG. Plus she started a Sunday brunch two days ago that was successful, and people are already asking about the one we have planned for this coming Sunday. I feel badly that I have to take the day off on what looks to be a very busy day for the restaurant, but I need to get my ass down to the midcoast that is very important. I haven't seen Mom and Dad in a while, and I haven't been down to the ol' homestead at all yet this year. What a bunch of crap!

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Thursday 6-11-21: Prety close to pass-out.
I got kinda drunk tonight. Okay, I got more than kinda drunk I got really drunk hehehe. I had a couple of my favorite beverages tonight before I went to the bar, and I called Mom and taked to her for about a half hour as I watched the Red Sox game on the TV. I only half-paid attention to the game when I taked, but the wrong team was winning at Fenway early. What a bunch of crap! Thankfully the Red Sox came back to win later in the game. By then I was at the bar.

Today was a fantastic weather day, a 10/10 type of rating. About 70 for a high temp with a very low humidity. Oh Jesus, hell ya! I went for a 2.5-mile jog, and I survived. Ever since I got the 'rona 5 or so weeks ago I have not been the same, but I am trenging in the right direction in terms of my overall energy and stamina. Maybe? Hopefully! There will be blueberry raking this year, but I don't think I can use THE EX (110-tooth rake) because I am weak now. Gods damn it! However, I still do have six weeks to get stronger so we'll see how it goes. A lot will change between now and when I go raking...

^I looked for a photo of the Excalibur blueberry rake, but I found a photo from 2006 of my great friend, Walter, in front of the Excalibut Hotel in Vegas. Wow, 15 years ago! So amazing I found two total stranger roommates back in 2004 (give or take a year) and we are still good friends all these years later. How cool is that? Guy wants to find the Ex-rake. Guy looks at old blueberry raking photos and posts an all-time classic from when Tommy went raking with us:

^From ten years ago when Tommy went raking with Gavin and I. He was like Arnold in the Conan the Barbarian movies, but as far as I know he has not punched a camel in the face hehehe. I miss hanging out with Tommy I hope he is doing well out in AZ. Tommy, Gav, and I had fun raking and camping out back in 2011. That was Payson's field in Hope. Awesome view from the back side of Hachet Mountain. I dunno why I do it, but when I think of raking I always have fond memories and I love it. NOw it's all different than it was ten years ago, but I hope Gavin and I can eke out one more good season. We sure could use the money!

I'm pretty much totally shitfaced, and it is the right thing to do. I have to figure out how I want to live my life. I worry about my awesome wife working so much, but I can't blame her for having the passion because our new bar is totally badass. It is the talk of the town (so I've heard), and we are very good at it so far. We have a lot to learn, but we have an amazing staff who know how to take care of our customers. Stories are all over the news about the service industry being desprate for help yet we have applications on the desk from people we can't hire because we are fully staffed. How cool is that? We are NOT making money yet, we are far from profits, but we have the right people helping us along the way. Our bar is fun, it is comfortable, and it is awesome.

Okay I ok a 5 minute break to look at old raking photos and I am done. Fin. I am pretty drunk and tat is okay because getting boozed up every now and ten i fun. I enjoy it. I think I have plans. Maybe? Hopefully! I had to rewind and fix it. It was 93 degrees earlier in the week and too hot for sleeping at night, but tonight will be 50 and crisp so that is a win. I should bivouac at some point soon, but my awesome wife went back to the bar to help run the place because it is her passion. She really seems to love it. I used to hate it, but now I kinda love it as well. I don't know why because I was a good landlord, but being a restaurant/bar owner has been fun lately. gressful but fun. See stress is spelled with a S not a G. I goess I shold bivouac because a am too drunk to write anymore. Good thing I am howe now for the ight. Good night turds, all two of you. Goonies never say die!

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Tuesday 6-08-21: Two drinks and no way my ass is driving.
I burned a shitload of energy today, and my ass is feeling it right now. I spent several hours today working in the event room at the bar, and the outside air temperature was around 90 so it was incredibly hot in there. Even worse I was doing the ceiling so the hot air seemed to be trapped up there. What a bunch of crap! I was a filthy mess with bits of insulation and dust on my aging body. I didn't leave with too much insulation on me because I kept cleaning it off (somewhat), but I felt gross. Hawk and I made some great progress, though.

^From yesterday. Hawk painting the wall above the chair-rail while I worked out in the bar.

^My awesome wife picked good color for the upper wall, and I'm sure the lower part will look just as nice. Too bad I have to wait for the plumbers to finish that area of exposed framing. That is the back end of the female restroom, and we are redoing all the plumbing because the junk we inherited = what a bootleg bunch of crap!

I have only had two of my usual drinks (fatass in a glass!), but I feel like I am half in the bag so F that. I didn't plan to drink that much tonight anyway because I actually want to work tomorrow and be productive. When was the last time Kat and I had a day off? Probably May 7, but even that was not a day off so nevermind. Kat worked down at the bar most of that day while I stayed away from the world on my final day of a Covid-19 quarantine. I did some work at home through the computer. We both need a day off together, and hopefully we can get one later this month. Maybe? Hopefully! She works way too much down at that bar for no pay since we don't make a profit yet. I've never in life seen anyone more dedicated to making something work than she is to that bar. It will succeed due to her efforts. I don't slack off myself, I work a shitload down there, but she does more of the important things. I do worry it will wear her down, though. I need to cut her hours, but how do I do that when she seems to want to be there all the time?

My awesome wife did have time to pick me up a couple jelly donuts earlier today from the WalMart bakery clearance rack. WM bakery rules man! Where is my Full Metal Jacket quote? Guy dredges it from the archives now...

What is that Private Markwith?!
Sir, a jelly donut, sir.
How did it get there?
Sir, my awesome wife bought it for me and I burned 10000 calories today so I will enjoy every bite!
DROP AND GIMME 25!

That photo makes me want to watch Full Metal Jacket now. What a great movie. If you disagree with me then I hate you. I probably hate you anyway, but I'll hate you a little more.

I think I am still exhausted? I dunno, but I ain't going to bivouac at only 1925. I should call and catch up with Mom, but F that I will be on the phone for 1.5 hours and I don't have the energy for that. I did sleep decently enough last night, no small feat with a low outside temp of 70 and no A/C. It was brutally hot yesterday, 93 degrees and a record high, and it sucked. However, the bar has extra A/C now thanks to a badass 36k heat pump that we got hooked up at about 2230 on a busy Saturday night. John worked well into the night to connect the wiring, and that was really awesome of him to do. It does help a lot. A LOT.

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Friday 6-04-21: Sales are up, spending is up, event room timeline failer.
This has been a decent week for the bar. Our sales are better than they were the week before, and last week was better than the week before that. It's been about 3 weeks since we repoened after a disasterous Covid-19 shutdown in early May, and we are trending in the right direction. We're nowhere near profit, not even close, but if things keep going the way they have been going we'll get there eventually. Maybe? Hopefully!

We've spent a lot of precious... precious money this week working on the event room. I've had Hawk painting and mudding, Bruce and Kevin have been working on the bathroom plumbing (total overhaul), and Jon and Jake have redone a bunch of the wiring to include all new dimmable LED lights. Thankfully I still have a little left for credit on the Home Depot and Lowe's cards because paying for all the materials up front right now = not possible. I thought we'd have more money from the sale of this land:

The tiny little 0.12-acre parcel was under contract last month, but then one of the neighbors called the city and code said the only good use for that small plot is a garage. The people who had put it under contract before wanted to throw a trailer on it (or a small home) and live there for part of the year. I didn't think it was zoned for a home, but I got bad info when it first listed. What a bunch of crap!

Jody (long-time realtor who treatss me well) texted me earlier and said there will be a contract for the land tomorrow, but I'll believe it when I see it. I don't even know what we are selling it for right now I suck! I think we started at $19,500, but it should be down to $13,500 right now. Guy looks it up on the MLS...

Listed for $14,500. We won't get that for it, but it would be great if we did. I'd probably be okay with a few grand less, but that depends on the offer and how much red tape is involved. A quick cash sale would be enticing at a lower price point. We'll see. Maybe it will never sell and one day I will put a garage there.

A huge chunk of precious... precious money disappears tomorrow when we pay ~$6000 to have a 36k roof-mounted heat pump installed near the stage in the bar. We need A/C in there because it gets hot. Fans help, but they are not a solution for a true heat wave. Monday we are expected to hit 93 degrees. OMG what a bunch of crap! Even worse, Monday is the day we were supposed to have the event room ready for a group of bridge players who want to use that space twice a week. The event room is a mess right now, and it doesn't have A/C so hopefully I can put the players in the back end of the bar/restaurant on Monday, near the stage and the new heat pump. I'll try to sort that all out tomorrow when the guy comes to take a look with me.

Things will have to go perfectly for the A/C to actually get installed and functional tomorrow. The guys brought all the materials over today and rented a lift for the room-mounted part and seem to think it will be working at this time tomorrow. They are starting at 0800 so my ass ain't getting shit for sleep tonight. I tried to take a nap not long ago, but I only slept a few minutes. What a bunch of crap! Until I get through this weekend I can forget getting a solid night of sleep.

My awesome wife's birthday is tomorrow, and I am pwned. I did get a start on it, but I have yet to finish. What a bunch of crap! I just work too much, and that is my bad.

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Tuesday 6-01-21: Hey awesome I finally feel pretty good.
So far this week I have gotten exercise 3 out of the 3 days, and I still feel pretty good. I'm not in the gym banging out 500-lb benchpresses, f that. I haven't even used my bootleg gym in maybe 3 weeks. What a bunch of crap! I played racquetball Sunday, I played again yesterday, and I slowly jogged 2 miles this evening. I am NOT in good cardio shape at all right now. Thank you Covid-19. Thank you restaurant/bar. May was a shit-show so hopefully June will be better. For most of May I either had covid or serious seasonal allergies. Epic fuckin' failer = May, 2021. I couldn't even go turkey hunting. What a bunch of crap indeed.

This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend, and the weather gods who do not really exist send us a well-timed gift. Shit weather booya! Normally shit weather = me do not want. However, owning a bar/restaurant during shit weather this time of year is good. It was rainy, cool, and raw for a big part of the weekend so that helped business. A lot. We had great Friday and Saturday nights, and I am really proud of the staff we have in place right now. We actually got full to fire-code capacity on Saturday night for a while. Oh Jesus, hell ya! We are a long way from turning any sort of profit, but it is nice to see revenues increasing week over week. Plus we are getting *mostly* good feedback from our customers. We don't always get the food and drinks perfectly right, but we are providing exceptional service and we are all good at making customers feel welcome and comfortable.

The event room is a mess, and we have people who want to use it in 5.5 days. Guy will have to upload a photo of the room and post it on here tomorrow. The room is nice and bright because sparkies got the new LED troffers installed today. Oh Jesus, hell ya! They can all dim as well, a feature we have in the restaurant that is incredibly valuable. No one wants to have a restaurant/bar experience that feels lit up like a cafeteria. The lighting helps set the mood. For some events the lights will be all the way up, but for others we can lower them down and really create a party atmosphere.

^Photo posted days later because I don't have enough free time. (What a bunch of crap!) Ceiling tiles get painted a light blue before they go up. Thank you, Hawk.

I think the event room will take a couple more weeks to finish, and I have less than 6 days. OMG! I have a group of bridge players planning to start next Monday. My plan? Not charge them to use the unfinished room. As long as we can get the walls painted and the floor done good enough, right? Maybe? Hopefully! The bathrooms will definitely NOT be done, and that is okay. There are other bathrooms people can use for now. Bruce and Kevin did major demolition Friday on those restrooms. Today I didn't work on the event room very much because I had to mow lawns and run errands, but I did have electricians and Hawk in there making progress.